Kindred Spirits
by Taal
Summary: Harper-centric fic. Crossover with World of Darkness. What happens when the someone who has survived hell, someone willing to make the final sacrifice for a mission, is chosen for the embrace? Primarily Harper/Trance, with some Beka/Tyr and Dylan/Rommie.
1. Prologue

Kindred Spirits  
  
Prologue  
  
"The Good Want Power, But to Weep Bitter Tears. The Wise Want Love, and Those that Love Want Wisdom"  
  
P. B. Shelly  
  
"Prometheus Unbound"  
  
"He is not a warrior, he is not a scholar nor a philosopher, why then would you consider this one for the embrace?" The man's thick accent coloring his words as he pondered the illogic of his sire's intended action.  
  
"He has a deep passion for life, he is most certainly a survivor." She was adamant, decided.  
  
"A survivor perhaps, but still, what use would he be to us?" The male was leaning against a pillar in a non-descript building overlooking the teeming marketplace and the nearby starport. The building was dilapidated, true, but it was abandoned, unnoticed and most importantly completely cut off from the light of this worlds twin suns.  
  
"We are new to this age, Willhelm, we need new blood to help ease us into these times or we leave ourselves sorely vulnerable. This Mortal is truly product of his age, his understanding of it is unsurpassed, who better to teach us?" The woman stood next to the man, a pale shroud covered most of her face, leaving only her eyes and auburn hair visible. None of the passing people even glanced at the pair.  
  
"If this is your will, mistress, I will bring him into the clan this night. Though I question the wisdom of this, I do not doubt your motives."  
  
"No. This matter calls for extreme delicacy, I shall embrace him myself. This night I will leave our haven, and when I return we shall be a clan once more." The woman walked quietly away from him, but she easily heard his whispered words.  
  
"As you wish, Ecaterina. I pray we are making the correct assessment of this mortal." 


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
Harper slowly wondered back towards the starport, musing silently to himself as he traversed the silent street. He was slightly wary of the lengthening shadows, but he knew that the crew of the Eureka Maru was not due to leave for several days yet, and he decided to enjoy the dual sunset as best he could. Finding a spot that overlooked the descending suns, he relaxed quietly against a tree reminiscent of a Terran oak, the only noticeable difference being the blue leaves. This was a ritual of his, spending an hour or two completely alone whenever he got the chance. Not having to maintain a façade, a mask behind which to hide several of the less pleasant aspects of his past. Rommie, Beka and Dylan should be bunking down for the night in one of Praxis' hotels. When Harper had left he had promised to return before nightfall, but he had could contact them any time, and it was so rare for him to have some time to contemplate  
  
It was a quiet night, with almost no wind to speak of, enjoyable but certainly not comfortable for long periods, this planet was several degrees colder than Harper would have liked and he hugged his multi-colored shirt to himself. Focusing on the dying of the light as the final sun past beyond the horizon and disappeared beneath the cliffs, for some reason, Harper felt as if this sunset was special, important for some inexplicable reason. He shrugged the feeling off easily, ever since he was a child he had watched many sunsets alone and planned to enjoy many more. Finally, after several minutes had passed, he decided it was time to return to the hotel, he had work to do tomorrow.  
  
With a pair of full moons out tonight, he had not trouble seeing as he turned to leave, he found himself slightly puzzled over the complete lack of people in the street. It was true that the Human population of Praxis had certain odd habits, but as far as he knew, fear of the night was not one of them. Shrugging lightly, he walked quietly back to his friends, his head hunched and his tread silent.  
  
Ecaterina watched the mortal with delicious anticipation as the fall of his boots echoed through the night and his heartbeat pounded in her ears. Safely concealed in the shadows she prepared herself for the night ahead, embracing him this night was her planned course of action, but something about him unsettled her slightly. Ever since she had witnessed him walking home with his, decidedly odd, companions she had immediately marked him. Wilhem's points were both well-made and perfectly valid, but something about this Human positively screamed to be given the gift of Cain. She licked her teeth behind her shroud and felt them extended. The moment was almost upon them.  
  
Harper stopped dead in his tracks, every hair on the back of his neck was attempting to migrate to the top of his head, he looked about wildly, seeking out the source of his disconcertion. Seeing nothing but shadow, he rationally concluded that nothing was there. Growing up on Earth, Seamus had always had a kind of sixth sense about situations like these, though nothing as intense as this, he had long ago learned to trust his senses implicitly and broke into a sprint as he attempted to distance himself from the source of his unease.  
  
Ecaterina was shocked beyond measure as her prey fled as fast as his legs would carry him, wasting no time she followed, shoved him into the alley and with, a telepathic push, forced him to stop.  
  
Harper felt as though he had been hit by a two-by-four. One second he was running, the next he was completely still, fifteen metres from where he started, and worse still, he could not move a muscle. A dark form stood before him, a strangely dressed woman who radiated power and lethality, he struggled to move, finding only there simplest of motions possible. Trying to speak, he almost failed, but gathering all his willpower he forced his mouth to obey him.  
  
"Let me go!" He practically growled at his captor.  
  
"Most impressive, a lesser man would not even be able to speak in my grasp."  
  
"Now!" He forced as much rage into that single syllable as possible, finding the dullness of his limbs being beaten back by the anger. The female (who most certainly not a Human) in front of him look momentarily shocked by his outburst. She chuckled, the sounded carrying unnaturally in the night. Before circling him, leaving his extremely limited field of view, he felt a cold hand trail across his chest as she spoke.  
  
"Such passion, it is intoxicating." Ecaterina completed her circuit of Harper, before standing back a pace.  
  
"What are you?" Harper ground out, his control over his body becoming greater as he concentrated.  
  
"I am your savior. I am here to free you of your mortal shackles. Now enough talk Seamus Zelanzny Harper, your deliverance is at hand." Ecaterina removed her shroud and revealed the lower half of her face, blackened, desiccated and crowned with two perfectly formed fangs.  
  
"NO!" Harper screamed as her deadly canines pierced his carotid artery and he felt his life ebbing away.  
  
Ecaterina reveled in the potency of his blood, as always the indescribable pleasure of the mortal vitae making it slightly harder to concentrate. Ecaterina felt him slip past the point of no return, she had taken too much blood for him to live, there was no turning back now. She kept drinking until his heartbeat slowed, and then finally stopped. Supporting his weakened body as he fell to the ground. Drawing a talon across her wrist, Ecaterina gently tilted Harper's head back and watched as a single scarlet droplet fell from her wound onto his tongue.  
  
Harper's watched with glassy eyes as the vampire (for she could be nothing else) withdrew from him, so this was it, his life was to end here. Surprising himself, his final thoughts were of Trance, and how he would never get to tell her how much she meant to him. He was cold, and the night was getting darker, it was over. He vaguely noticed her cut herself, and felt an odd wetness in his mouth.  
  
His senses exploded. The taste was incandescent, a blindingly powerful high settled over him; growing up on Earth, Harper was no stranger to drugs, though he had never used Flash, there were several cocktails that he had sampled, but nothing could compare to this. He felt as if he was on fire, an exquisite agony burning through his veins. But it was only a drop, not enough,. The experience awoke something within him, a hunger the likes of which Harper had never imagined.  
  
Ecaterina watched impassively as her newest childe awoke into the darkness, bending to lift him, she was shocked when he surged up into her, clamping his Human teeth into the side of her neck. Blunt canines tore at her flesh, crudely but effectively opening up her blood to this newborn. He began to drink greedily, gulping down her vitae as fast as he could. She grabbed him and tried to extricate herself from his grasp, she couldn't move his arms. A moment of panic washed over her, his strength was almost demonic! Harper continued to drink. Ecaterina felt faint, the beast rose up inside her, it was too much, she momentarily lost control and sank her fangs into his wrist, desperately trying to replace her waning life. The two were lost in the dual-rapture of both feeding and being fed upon.  
  
Harper felt the bite only slightly, too carried away by the experience of drinking blood for the first time. They fell to the ground, Harper lying underneath Ecaterina, the impact did not even register on either of them.  
  
Minutes later, Wilhem came upon them, he had been hunting Harper's first meal, he would be ravenous when he awoke. He was very surprised to find both his sire and his newest brother-to-be lying on the ground, it took him a moment to realize what was happening, lacking any obvious alternative, Wilhem grabbed Harper by the hair and his sire by the neck and tried to pull them apart.  
  
Harper felt a hand in his hair, a strong grip pulling him away from the blood, directly in front of his face, an arm was wrapped around the vampire's neck. She growled, as lost in the blood as her newest childe, Ecaterina released Harper's wrist and slashed sluggishly at Wilhem's arm, she had not won the race with Harper, he had nearly drained her completely and it was all she could do to quell the beast. Wilhem cursed as Ecaterina's claws bit into his arms, Harper's tunneled vision saw only one thing, blood.  
  
Harper grabbed at Wilhem's arm, bringing it violently to his mouth and drinking again, the taste was different, thinner but no less pleasurable. Wilhem yelped loudly as he felt the bite, bring his free arm down hard across Harper's back, he was disappointed when the engineer didn't even flinch but kept drawing the vitae away. Wilhem was simultaneously amazed and petrified by the sheer speed at which he felt his strength bleeding away, he panicked, ripping his arm away and diving backwards away from this creature. Before slipping into Torpor next to his stirring sire.  
  
Harper almost screamed as the second source was removed, everything was so completely dark now, he could not see a thing anymore, now that he wasn't drinking anymore he lost all strength. Collapsing face down on the hard ground, he felt his life slip away into oblivion.  
  
Seamus Zelazny Harper died.  
  
  
  
Trance shot bolt upright in her bed, her blade almost materializing in her hand as she screamed.  
  
"HARPER!" 


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Ecaterina forced her eyes open through sheer force of will, the night had brightened, the smell of dawn approaching filled her senses, lending desperate strength to her weary body. Lying in front of her, her newest childe was absolutely still, his unseeing eyes staring blankly at her, a thin trail of dried blood marking his chin. Turning her head, she saw Wilhem on his back, obviously in deep torpor. Slowly, she forced herself to her feet; swaying unsteadily she reached into the folds of her robe and drew forth a small flask of vitae. Ecaterina had long ago learned to plan for the worst, and she made a point of always keeping a supply of elder blood, her own blood, for emergencies. ~This qualified~ she decided, before tipping back the flask and drinking the life-giving liquid quickly, savoring its taste.  
  
Feeling her preternatural strength return to her limbs, she dropped the container and lifted Harper effortlessly over her shoulder, before grabbing Wilhem and securing him under her arm, she set off for her haven. Fortunately, it was not far, and she made it with perhaps an hour to spare. Leaving the two blood-brothers in safety, she turned and quickly left to hunt.  
  
Finding prey was simple that night, several Kine were wondering the early hours, she drained one completely, replenishing her own dwindling blood- supply. Choosing a pair of Human girls, twins in fact, she easily mesmerized them and brought them to her sleeping childer.  
  
Deciding not to take anymore risks with Harper, she awoke Wilhem first and, dodging his frenzied attacks with little effort, led him to the first of the twins, whom he drained without hesitation. His hunger diminished sufficiently for his thoughts to reassert itself, he looked around for a moment, before turning to his sire.  
  
"What happened?" His well-modulated accent was barely noticeable  
  
"I am afraid I do not know exactly. This one was different from any Kine I have ever embraced; a single taste of my blood was enough to kindle the direst bloodlust in him while he was still mortal. He drained me completely, and almost diabolised you, I am not sure what he will become." Ecaterina was tired, the suns were beginning their' ascent.  
  
"Perhaps it might be better if we were too." Wilhem indicated the door, obviously reluctant to make such a suggestion.  
  
"No. We.I brought him into this, I embraced him without fully understanding the consequences. I will not abandon him now."  
  
"Then I suggest that we awaken the newest Brujah and feed him immediately. Though I would prefer a day's rest before any undertaking, the chance that he might awaken while we slumber is not worth taking." Wilhem accepted his sire's decision unhesitatingly.  
  
"You are correct, childe. Very well, I shall awaken him, fetch the other Kine." Wilhem moved to obey. Ecaterina placed her hand over Harper's motionless body, before whispering a few words and striking him with a sharp slap across the face.  
  
Harper's corpse stirred slightly, he blinked sluggishly, a pair of fangs dug into his lower lip, almost drawing blood. He looked about slowly, his eyes coming to rest on Ecaterina. It took him a moment to connect the woman with the vampire that had attacked him earlier.  
  
Ecaterina was far more wary of Harper than she had been previously, as a mortal he had very nearly ended her immortal existence, as a hungry Kindred, she shuddered almost imperceptibly. She backed away slowly, ready to defend herself if he made the slightest threatening gesture.  
  
As it turned out, she didn't receive a warning.  
  
One instant she was primed and ready to strike, and the next she was dangling by her throat, her head cracked hard against a concrete wall several feet away. Ecaterina's vision swam for a moment, before she focussed on Harper's snarling visage as he effortlessly supported her weight with a single hand.  
  
"What.Did.You.Do.To.Me?" He ground out, relaxing his grip around her larynx so that she could answer. Ecaterina could see the visible effort that Harper was expending in order to keep control of the overwhelming bloodlust; understanding that she could not match him physically, she did not even try. Instead, she avoided his eyes and, keeping her voice as calm as possible, spoke in soft, reassuring tones.  
  
"You must eat, childe, before you surrender to the beast." Ecaterina gestured vaguely towards Wilhem as he brought in the unconscious body of a pretty blonde. Harper released his sire and moved to grab the Human. He was so hungry that he felt sure he would starve to death. He could hear the girl's heartbeat slamming his ears; he could almost see the blood rushing beneath her veins.  
  
Wilhem released the girl into Harper's grasp, he appeared momentarily confused over what he was supposed to do; then another wave of hunger tore through him and he reflexively pulled her close and sank his fangs into her carotid artery. Once he had punctured the delicate vessel, his canines retracted into his gums and her sweet vitae flowed freely down his throat. Once again, he was on fire as the ecstasy of the blood fell upon him in a tsunami of sensation. One gulp, the red haze began to lift from his vision, control became easier. Two gulps, he began to realize what was happening, he half-considered stopping, but knew that he couldn't even if he tried.  
  
Seconds stretched into hours as the hot warmth caressed his body from the inside, he began to feel full, but certainly not sated, he heard her heartbeat slow, understanding that he was killing her, he tried to stop, tried to save her. By the time his body obeyed his command, she was both dead and quite empty of blood. He released her still-warm body and she fell to the floor with a thump.  
  
Harper looked down at his, what was she? His lover? His supplier? His victim?  
  
Slowly, he raised his head, feeling hot tears fall down his cheeks, and fixed his eyes on Ecaterina, who was still trying to appear as non- threatening as possible. She stared at him, even with blood tears streaked his face he was hauntingly beautiful. The gift of Cain often enhanced a person physically, a stout vampire was nearly unheard of, but rarely within the Brujah bloodline was the transformation so radically apparent.  
  
Harper had gained several inches in height, now standing six feet tall; his hair was still untamed, yet it was now black in color. However, the main difference lay in his eyes. No longer a clear, sky blue that reflected his feelings for the world to see. His eyes were now a shining golden hue, they seemed to burn with a luminescence. Combined with his once again extended fangs and ten razor-like claws protruding from his long, strong fingers, he looked positively demonic.  
  
Harper looked incredulously at his hands; his fingernails were each two inches long and sharp. He ran his tongue over his teeth, unnaturally lengthened, his blood was still boiling, but there was no longer any physical pain, just a feeling of subsumed violence. A barely controlled rage that threatened to wrest control away from him, he fixed Ecaterina with an icy stare.  
  
"Answer my question. What did you do to me?" Carefully pronouncing his syllables over his unfamiliar dental equipment. Ecaterina hesitated for a moment, before looking him directly in the eyes and speaking with her customary precisely controlled voice.  
  
"I have embraced you, childe. I released you from your mortality."  
  
"You.embraced me?" Although Harper was having trouble concentrating and the terminology was unfamiliar, he was beginning to connect the dots. Fangs, claws, blood. He hoped that he was wrong, but knew that he was not.  
  
"I given you the gist of Cain, you now a Kindred, an immortal."  
  
"A vampire? You turned me into a vampire?" Harper knew that he should be angry, but the shock of becoming another species overnight.over day.whatever, was too much. Harper's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fainted.  
  
Wilhem and Ecaterina watched with surprise as the single strangest Kindred they had ever seen passed out.  
  
Harper awoke a few minutes later; he slowly stood and backed away into a corner, his teeth and claws still extended, his eyes still burning gold.  
  
"Why? Why would you do that to me?" He sank into the corner, red tears running down his face as he hugged himself and rocked slowly back and forth. Ecaterina was an Elder, a old vampire who could barely remember her own fleeting mortal existence, yet watching her newest childe suffer so hurt her deeply. She motioned for Wilhem to leave them alone, which he did with some trepidation. She moved slowly to him, standing before him and viewing the surreal dichotomy of the scene before her.  
  
A Kindred sat before her, he was barely a fledgling, less than a day old, he was one of her blood, and he was powerful beyond any expectation. She was reasonably sure that if he seriously chose to visit upon her final death, he would stand a good chance of succeeding. His eyes burned with the most savage of beasts barely contained behind a fragile wall of humanity, his hands were adorned with the most deadly weapons and his body held deceptive power. And yet, looking at his sobbing, broken form before her, she was astonished to feel a tear traverse her face. She knelt before him, reached out she placed her hand as gently as possible over his.  
  
When Kindred are embraced, the body dies first, later, soon after the first feeding, their' morality abandons them, it is ripped from their' souls with such violence that some minds do not survive, they are left momentarily hollow beyond description, a void which they each constantly strove to fill. Those strong of character soon learn to cope, they find fulfillment in many ways, but that moment leaves a scar that never fades. Ecaterina was certain that this Human had an unsurpassed strength of character, she was confidant that he would survive, but would he trust her afterwards?  
  
"You are now one of the Kindred, I know that your blood feels like it's boiling in your veins, but I promise you will survive this. I will leave now, give your Brujah blood time to cool. Do not leave this place, it is daylight outside and your body can no longer tolerate the hated sun." Ecaterina watched him calmly for a second, but was again surprised as the boy's face twisted into an unholy grimace and a scream of pain wrenched itself from his lips. Immediately she moved to the boy's side and held him as the last vestiges of his humanity died, while he screamed in agony. This usually didn't happen so quickly, but Ecaterina had seen the dying of mortality in a fledgling before but this was very painful for her  
  
And not just because the child had latched onto her wrist with his clawed hands and was squeezing so tightly she could feel her bones being ground together. By far the worst aspect was the sound Harper was emitting...a keening howl that she had never heard before and hoped never to hear again.  
  
Ecaterina held her until it was over and then when the boy was too weak to do anything but sleep, she set his form down carefully, turned and left the room, wiping the tears from her eyes as she did.  
  
It had been a long night for all, she felt it would not be the last in a long while.  
  
*  
  
Dylan groaned and turned over in his bed, what was that bothersome noise? He carefully opened one of his eyes, the room was cool and dark, but not silent.  
  
"Captain Hunt. Captain Hunt please respond." After listening to this for a few moments, Dylan decided that whoever they were would not just go away, must to his consternation, so he reluctantly got out of bed, threw on a robe and padded in front of the view-screen.  
  
"Hunt here. What is it." He tried to be diplomatic, tried to keep his voice as civil as possible.  
  
"Praxis communications net here. Sorry to bother you at this hour, sir. But we have an urgent message from a miss 'Trance Gemini' who insists that it cannot wait. Shall I patch her through?" Dylan was quickly awake, if Trance was under the impression that something was wrong, something usually was.  
  
"Yes"  
  
"Standby" The previously blank screen brightened to display the gold alien, on board Andromeda's command deck, wearing a robe and looking more than slightly distressed.  
  
"Trance. What is it?" Trance looked infinitely relieved to see that she had finally established contact.  
  
"Dylan. Where is Harper?"  
  
"Harper? He should be in bed, why?"  
  
"Are you absolutely positive? Have you actually seen him?"  
  
"Well, no. As diplomats, the hotel management insisted on giving us separate rooms, but I could contact registration and ask when he came in last night. What's happened?"  
  
"I don't know, let's just say I had a nightmare about Harper and I need to see if he's okay before I can get back to sleep." Dylan could tell that Trance was bothered about more than a nightmare, but accustomed as he was to her vagueness he decided to just cooperate.  
  
"Stay connected, I'll call down now. Hang on." Dyaln cut the communications link and recalled the hotel management.  
  
"Good evening, Captain Hunt. What can we do for you?"  
  
"I need to know if all my crew have checked in tonight."  
  
"Very well, I'll check. Here we go. We have you, a Ms Valentine, and an AI named Rommie. Is that correct?"  
  
"No. Was there a Mr. Harper? Human, male, short?"  
  
"I'm afraid not. Was he a part of your crew?" Dylan was beginning to worry, so he closed that channel. Hitting his comms, he asked.  
  
"Harper? Harper where are you? Damn it. Beka, Rommie come in." The Beautiful AI responded instantly.  
  
"Dylan, is something wrong?"  
  
"Rommie. Where is Harper? He hasn't checked into the hotel and he's not responding on his comms. Wake Beka, tell her that Harper's missing and have her come here." He turned back to the view screen and opened up a channel to the Andromeda.  
  
"Trance? It seems your 'hunch' might be more than a nightmare. Harper's missing, no one has seen or heard from him since last night." Stricken, Trance looked like she might collapse.  
  
"Oh Dylan. This is very, very bad. I think Harper might be hurt or worse. We have to find him. I'll ask Rommie to run a sensor sweep, try to find Harper's commlink."  
  
"Good. I'll get the other's to the Maru and alert the planetary authorities to the situation. Trance, we'll find him, he probably got drunk in a bar or something, he'll be alright." The Andromeda's main view screen went blank. Androemeda's internal sensors barely made out Trance's whispered words.  
  
"He's not alright. Not at all." She was terrified. 


	4. Chapter 3

****

Chapter 3

The second time that Harper awoke a vampire was slightly less distressing than the first. His first thought had been that maybe it was a dream, an illusion brought on by too much Sparky Cola and not enough sleep. One glance down at his ebony-taloned hands shattered several layers of optimism and he felt as though reality had just kicked him sharply in the vulnerables. He had a pounding headache. Did vampires suffer from caffeine withdrawal? He strongly doubted it. Harper rose from the bed that he had been lying on and walked as quietly as possible to the small wash basin and wall-mounted mirror, resting his head against the cool glass. Growing up on a slave planet, stealth was a necessary survival trait that most acquired early on; still, he marveled at how utterly silent his steps were. 

He opened his eyes and looked at his reflection. Staring back at him was a familiar stranger, if there is such a thing. His hair was jet black, turning his head to catch the light, his skin was pale, but without the tiniest blemish or imperfection and seemed to contain a slightly luminescent glow. Along with his now burnished gold colored eyes and elongated fangs, he was frighteningly beautiful, if surreal. 

Feeling the blood boil in his soul, Harper tried desperately to calm down, but it was so hard to control these new emotions. Whereas, before last night, he would have been scared and angry, he was now terrified and enraged. His feelings were swinging wildly from one extreme to the next and it was very disturbing. He closed his eyes and tried to relax. He tried to conjure up the most calming image he could think of. The vision he created was hardly a surprising choice.

He held an image of Trance in his mind, picturing her as accurately as possible. He could see her iridescent golden skin that was touched with highlights of lilac. Next he added her long scarlet braided hair. Lastly he imagined her beautifully expressive brown eyes; he had always loved her eyes. When he had first met her, Harper had had to spend some serious effort in training himself not to stare into her unfathomably deep eyes at every opportunity. Harper's breathing slowed down to normal and his heartbeat slowed and ceased. Slightly disturbed by the stillness in his chest, he nevertheless felt much calmer and silently thanked Trance, before crossing the room to the only exit. Prior to opening it, he leaned his head against the thick wooden door and listened.

Harper could hear voices in the next room. Reasoning that it must be the other two, he decided to see what he could learn. They were speaking so loudly it was a simple matter for him to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"…will most likely not awaken for several hours yet, and yet I wonder at him. Have we any idea as to the root of his strangeness?" That was the male.

"I strongly suspect something in his mortal bloodline. Perhaps an ancestor of his was of unusual blood, possibly a mage, demon or fae. After he has become accustomed to being a Kindred, he may enlighten us; however it is quite possible, even probable, that he does not know himself. Regardless, I am currently concerned more with the present than the past. I have, in my entire life, heard only whispers as to the consequences of siring a childe with the blood of more than a single Kindred. It is said that when the gift of Caine is bestowed, the mystical essences are not added, but multiplied within, granting the childe great power and potency of blood." The woman was most definitely the wiser and dominant of the two; the man was positively submissive towards her. 

"If the process produces such powerful childer, why then is it not practiced frequently?" Not just submissive, Harper observed, but admiring. She was perhaps his creator? 

"Because the Beast is also enhanced greatly, most do not survive the first few nights without succumbing. Additionally, the bloodline is also apparently of great importance. I once read an account of a Tremere wizard attempting the same with a Ventrue captive. The idea was to breed a Tremere/Ventrue hybrid, a mage with the ruling skills of the Blue bloods."

"What was the result?"

"Disaster, the clan bloodlines were too far separated, the blood did not mix correctly. The resulting Kindred would have offended the senses of a Nosferatu and did not last long regardless. The pull of both clans tore him apart mentally, and, as always, the Beast was there to take advantage of his weakness."

"But since I have your blood in my veins," Harper's theory seemed to have been confirmed. "surely that is not an issue. He will be a Brujah, through and through."

"Aye, but only if we can teach him to master the power and perils of his Brujah blood with great alacrity. I fear that if we fail he may prove uncontrollable." The conversation had drawn to a close, and Harper decided that it was time to confront these two and demand answers. His blood was still simmering. He knew that it would not take much to set him over the edge again and he had no wish for a repeat experience.

No, he had to learn as much as possible about them, about himself, and then return to the Andromeda. He wanted to go back to the ship that had become his home. Harper wanted to flirt playfully with Rommie, knowing full well that she was madly in love with her Captain, even if she denied it. He wanted to talk with Beka and watch her skillfully pilot the Andromeda through the slipstream. He wanted be overworked by Dylan, who knew that he could handle it. Above all, he wanted…needed to see Trance again. Harper had always thought that Trance was beautiful, but it was only recently that he had discovered that he harbored deep feelings for her. 

Feelings that, quite frankly, scared him to death. He was in love with her. It was as simple and as complicated as that. Everyone he had ever loved died -- his parents, his family, his friends. For the longest time he had not been willing to risk loosing her to his own cursed existence. She deserved better than a Mudfoot who could never make her happy. Unfortunately, Harper had discovered that however much you try to deny your feelings to yourself, you could not truly deny your feelings in your heart. 

Of course, there was also the whole back-from-the-future-and-completely-different-but-still-the-same-well-sort-of issue to deal with, another thread an already overly-complicated web. So he had decided, through fear more than anything else, that he would try to distance her from him, protecting her and himself. Trance was off-limits for the foreseeable future. 

However, his recent experience had shocked him out of his indecision; he needed someone to talk to, to confide in. He needed his best friend, but he knew that he could not continue their' previously close friendship without feeling as though he was lying to her about his feelings.

Thus, after much deliberation, Harper was finally going to admit it to her. He was going to tell Trance Gemini that he was in love with her, and then see where that path led. He was not ashamed to admit how much that idea frightened him. He wasn't sure if he could survive being rejected by her; he prayed that would not happen.

~But will she be able to accept me, as this thing?~ On that depressing note, Harper closed that line of thought and brought his attention back to the present. He still had to get out of here. 

Usually, Harper favored avoidance over confrontation; he preferred to out-think rather than out-fight his opponents for several very good reasons. His small stature, combined with his native intelligence meant that stealth and subterfuge where almost always more effective than a stand-up fight. Added to this was the fact that, as a species, Humans were neither physically imposing nor particularly sensitive to their surroundings. Having grown to adulthood under the collective heels of the Drago-Kasov pride, the only hope a 'mere' human had for dominance in any situation involving inter-species conflict was to out-maneuver their opposition.

However, as he was beginning to truly comprehend, whether for better or for worse, Seamus Zelazny Harper was no longer a 'mere' Human being.

Steeling himself, Harper opened the door that separated him from the other Kindred and walked through with a confidence that he did not feel. As soon as Harper entered the room, the conversation between Ecaterina and Wilhem came to an abrupt end. As Harper had gathered from his eavesdropping, neither had expected him to wake up so soon.

"You are awake, Fledgling. Yet again you surprise me." Ecaterina spoke with preternaturally smooth elegance. Harper was unreceptive.

"Where are we?" Harper shifted with a coiled tension.

"We are currently in our haven, which is located within this decrepit building. We are approximately two miles from the place where you were embraced." She wisely kept her answers short and to the point. Ecaterina knew how tense he was; she picked out the subtle shifts in his stance, the way his eyes flicked steadily between them, and, most telling of all, the rapidly shifting colors of Harper's aura. 

When Ecaterina had previously talked with Harper, she had attempted to read his aura, and found her mind's eye dazzled by the sheer power that he held. With only a few exceptions, Harper had the most powerful aura that she had witnessed in any Kindred. A vampire's power grows with their age and the aura of a newly embraced Kindred such as the one standing barely six feet from her should, by all accounts, be gauzy and indistinct. Comparing what she had expected to what she was seeing would be analogous to comparing a flickering candle to a small thermonuclear explosion. 

But then, she was beginning to learn that, where her newest childe was concerned, she should expect the unexpected.

Once she had become used to the blinding intensity of the young vampire's aura, she could began to pick out the separate colorings that signified his emotional state. Aggressive purples swirling quickly with reds of rage and the gray of sadness and depression. His emotions were in turmoil, though significantly less so than she would have expected at this juncture; he was indeed a strong-willed individual. 

"Two miles? Take me there, I'm going home." From his understanding of Earth's history, Harper was vaguely familiar with that measure of distance.

"Is that a joke?" Wilhem had apparently missed the building tension within his youngest brother and said exactly the wrong thing at exactly the wrong time. He realized his mistake a microsecond after Harper had him pinned violently to the wall by his throat, his black claws digging painfully into Wilhem's neck. He stared into Harper's burning eyes, and for a moment he considered the possibility that he was about to meet his final death. When Harper restrained himself (albeit barely) from eviscerating the older Kindred, Wilhem was understandably surprised.

  
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Harper wanted to rip him apart. His self-control was quickly slipping and he focused again on his calming images of Trance. His breathing slowed, but he did not relax his grip. Ecaterina quickly came to her grandchilde's rescue.

"Seamus. What he means is that it is currently the middle of the day. Powerful though you are, you are still a fledgling and it is beyond your ken to withstand the sun for more than a few moments. If you step outside you will be incinerated where you stand. You must wait for nightfall, and there is much for you to learn before you can leave and expect to survive in the mortal world." She was beginning to tire of constantly placating her childe.

Harper released the older Kindred and watched as Wilhem's eye's glazed over in momentary concentration, before the scores in Wilhem's neck closed and sealed within seconds.

"How…How the hell did he do that?" Harper addressed Ecaterina instinctively, before realizing that he was displaying the same subtle deference that he had observed in her other childe. Was this a natural extension of being embraced, an ingrained trust in one's creator? He noted Wilhem's complete lack of reaction at being ignored; perhaps he was accustomed to it.

  
"Healing minor scratches are mere parlor tricks compared to what we Kindred can do if we bend our minds to the task." Ecaterina sensed that she was beginning to engage his attention and she decided to continue this line of discourse.

"We kindred can harness the power of our blood to use what are known as 'Disciplines.' For all intents and purposes, disciplines are magical. You have seen me use some, and even utilized a few yourself, albeit instinctive and crudely controlled though they were."

"When did I use a 'discipline'?" Harper certainly had no memory of doing anything remotely magical.

"Your strength and speed are products of the blood. Your claws," Ecaterina indicated his midnight black, extended nails, "are merely an application of the blood."

"There are more?" Harper was feeling slightly overwhelmed at the sheer scope of avenues that were now opening to him. Perhaps his vampirism was not going to be so bad after all, if he could learn to overcome the drawbacks. He glanced down at his hands. After all, it was hardly like he had much of a choice.

"Many more," Ecaterina confirmed.

"Then these," he raised his hands, "are not permanent?" Harper did not like them; they bore an uncomfortable reminiscence to Magog claws.

"No childe. Learning to mimic human appearances are some of the first and most crucial lessons a fledgling must learn…"

And so the Kindred trio spent the daylight hours instructing the youngest of their number on the basics of Kindred existence. Several times Harper had tried to figure out a way to contact his friends, but he had met with failure at every turn. He had left his comms in the hotel, and for some obscure reason the other two possessed no technological devices of any real standard. When he inquired as to why, he received a strange answer indeed.

"It concerns our arrival to this world," Ecaterina spoke easily to Harper, who had long since gotten comfortable.

"While working to destroy him, Wilhem and I were capture by a very powerful Kindred by the name of 'Goratrix'. He is an extremely ancient and powerful Tremere who has a most unsavory habit of using captive Cainites as guinea pigs in his experimentation into the discipline of Thaumaturgy." Seeing Harper's confused look, she translated.

"Blood magic. It is the hallmark of the Tremere clan and Goratrix is one of the most powerful and least stable among them. Through the total exsanguination of several other Kindred, he created a portal." Harper winced. He intensely disliked portals; they always caused trouble. 

"Then he had us thrown through it. When we arrived on this world, it did not take us long to discover that we had not only traveled in space, but also in time."

"So where, and when, do you actually come from. Where were you before Goratix's experiment?"

"I do not know the precise location of Goratrix's haven; however I am reasonably sure it resides in New Mexico. And the date was the 9th of July, 2003." Harper's response was of first confusion, and then shock.

"2003? Old Earth calander, let's see. That would place you," a swift burst of mental arithmetic later, "almost 3470 years ago!" After a moment of shock, Ecaterina continued.

"Well, it is certainly more than I had expected. But we are here now, and so much has changed. That was one of the reasons that I chose you for the embrace; we need new blood to repopulate our clan and you seemed to me to be an excellent choice."

*

Goratrix stood on the edge of the circle inscribed on the floor, a ring of complex sigils that pulsed scarlet; his eyes were rolled back into his head and he was chanting as he had been for three solid nights. The first stage of his experiment was a success. The portal opened and the two were transported to a different time and place, though where and when were almost entirely random.

It was almost time for the second phase, to successfully bring the two back. Once he had achieved this, and when he could learn to predict and control the destination, Goratrix would have the means to escape the Jyhad and his rapidly approaching enemies. It all hinged on this one, final endeavor -- his penultimate play for dominance in the everlasting war of the Kindred.

~And to think, that it all rests on that Brujah bitch and her progeny.~

He was fortunate to have captured an elder and her grand-childe together. It made pulling them back that much easier -- the spell was simply keyed to her blood.

When the portal opened again, her blood would be drawn into it, and returned to their new master. Perhaps, when he had finally perfected this ritual, he would bleed them dry before he left.

All extraneous thoughts vanished as the sigils began to shimmer and a howling whirlwind picked up around him. The portal was reopening, time for their return.


	5. Lexicon and Author's Note

A/N: I have below provided a list of the most common terms from Vampire: The Masquerade. Please don't feel that you MUST read these in order to enjoy Harper's story, you certainly won't. But they are here for those who are interested. All information below is intellectual property of White Wolf gaming, I'm just borrowing the world for fictional purposes.  
Lexicon  
  
Common Parlance  
  
These words are in common use in Kindred society.  
  
Anarch: A Kindred rebel who opposes the tyranny of elders. Anarchs wish to redistribute the wealth and resources of a city equitably among the vampires therein. Naturally, the elders oppose this, having cultivated their influence for centuries.  
  
Becoming, The: The moment one passes from being a fledgling into "full" vampire status. One may not Become until her sire deems her ready and gains the prince's approval.  
  
Book of Nod, The: A loose collection of Kindred legendry and history. The Book of Nod chronicles the origin of the Kindred, though it has never been published in its entirety. Fragments of the document and its many partial transcriptions circulate among certain strata of Kindred society. Commonly compared to the bible/torah/etc.  
  
Beast, The: The inchoate drives and urges that threaten to turn a vampire into a mindless, ravening monster.  
  
Blood: A vampire's heritage; that which makes a vampire a vampire. Usage: I doubt her claims to such esteemed Blood.  
  
Blood Bond: A mystical power over another individual engendered by partaking of a particular vampire's blood thrice; accepting blood from a vampire is an acknowledgment of her mastery. Causes absolute emotional infatuation with master Kindred, comparable to a simultaneous cocktail of addiction and love.  
  
Camarilla, The: A sect of vampires devoted primarily to maintaining the Traditions, particularly that of the 'Masquerade.  
  
Childe: A vampire created through the Embrace - the childe is the progeny of her sire. This term is often used derogatorily, indicating inexperience. (pl. childer)  
  
Clan: A group of vampires who share common characteristics passed on by the Blood. There are 13 known clans, all of which were reputedly founded by members of the Third Generation.  
  
Coterie: A small group or "pack" of Kindred, united by the need for support and sometimes common interests. A Coterie can be tense and friction-filled, or as close as extended family.  
  
Diablerie: The consumption of another Kindred's blood, to the point of the victim's Final Death. Vampires of high generation may lower their generation through this practice, considered by the Elder Kindred of the Cammarilla to be the 'ultimate crime' in vampire society, since they have the most to loose; comparable to cannibalism, rape and murder. Often simultaneously. Diablerie provides young vampires of higher Generation (and thus less potency of blood) with a quick and dangerous route to achieve great power. Though some infant vampires may simply not understand the magnitude of the crime.  
  
Domain: An area of a particular vampire's influence. Princes claim entire cities as their domains, sometimes allowing lesser vampires to claim domain within.  
  
Elder: A vampire who has experienced three or more centuries of unlife. Elders are the most active participants in the Jyhad.  
  
Elysium: A place where vampires may gather and discourse without fear of harm. Elysium is commonly established in opera houses, theaters, museums and other locations of culture.  
  
Embrace, The: The act of transforming a mortal into a vampire. The Embrace requires the vampire to drain her victim and then replace that victim's blood with a bit of her own.  
  
Fledgling: A newly created vampire, still under her sire's protection.  
  
Generation: The number of "steps" between a vampire and the mythical Caine; how far descended from the First Vampire a given vampire is.  
  
Gehenna: The imminent Armageddon when the Antediluvians will rise from their torpor and devour the race of Kindred and the world.  
  
Ghoul: A minion created by giving a bit of vampiric vitae to a mortal without draining her of blood first (which would create a vampire instead).  
  
Haven: A vampire's "home"; where she finds sanctuary from the sun.  
  
Hunger, The: The urge to feed, as with any living creature. For vampires, however, the Hunger is a far more powerful call.  
  
Jyhad, The: The secret, self-destructive war waged between the generations. Elder vampires manipulate their lessers, using them as pawns in a terrible game whose rules defy comprehension.  
  
Kindred: The race of vampires as a whole, or a single vampire.  
  
Kiss, The: To drink blood, especially from a mortal. The Kiss causes feelings of ecstasy in those who receive it.  
  
Masquerade, The: The Tradition of hiding the existence of vampires from mortal society. Designed to protect the Kindred from destruction at the hands of mankind, the Masquerade was adopted after the Inquisition claimed many Kindred lives.  
  
Prince: A vampire who has claimed a given expanse of domain as her own, particularly a city, and supports that claim against all others. The term can refer to a Kindred of either sex.  
  
Sabbat, The: A sect of vampires that rejects humanity, embracing their monstrous natures. The Sabbat is bestial and violent, preferring to lord over mortals rather than hide from them. The direst enemies of the Cammarilla.  
  
Sire: A vampire's "parent"; the Kindred who created her.  
  
Old Form  
  
Amaranth: The act of consuming another Kindred's blood (q.v. Diablerie).  
  
Ancilla: A "proven" vampire, between the elders and the neonates. (pl. Ancillae)  
  
Antediluvian: A member of the dreaded Third Generation, one of the eldest Kindred in existence.  
  
Cainite: A vampire; a member of the race of Caine.  
  
Humanitas: The extent to which a Kindred still maintains her humanity.  
  
Kine: A term for mortals, largely contemptuous. The phrase Kindred and kine refers to the world at large; everything.  
  
Leech: A human who drinks vampire blood, yet acknowledges no master.  
  
Lineage: A vampire's bloodline; the Kindred's sire, sire's sire, etc.  
  
Methuselah: A vampire who has existed for a millennium or more; an elder who no longer exists among the greater whole of Kindred society. Methuselahs are rumored to hail from the Fourth and Fifth Generations.  
  
Neonate: A young Kindred, recently Embraced but no longer under the protection of his sire.  
  
Progeny: All of a given vampire's childer, collectively. Less formal, and less flattering, is Get.  
  
Primogen: The leaders in a given city; its ruling body of elders, typically composed of one member from each clan present in a city. Third Mortal: Caine, who was cast out and became the First Vampire.  
  
Thrall: A vampire under the effects of a blood bond, having drunk another Kindred's blood thrice.  
  
Vitae: Blood.  
  
Whelp: A derogatory term for a young Kindred, originally used with exclusive reference to one's own progeny.  
  
Witch-hunter: A mortal who searches out and destroys vampires. 


End file.
